Google's Nexus 7 discovered to have Smart Cover-like magnetic sensor | Hacker News Reader

Google's Nexus 7 discovered to have Smart Cover-like magnetic sensor

engadget.com

52 pointsprayag10 comments

RIM mobile phones have for years and years (least as long as I remember) had a magnetic sensor. With a official case that has a magnet in, it will turn the screen off and lock the device once it aligns with the magnet in the case - so pop phone into case on your belt and bingo - screen shuts off and phone locks.

So I'm not sure what patent is being violated at all and indeed who's.

It's amazing how much marketing can make a difference. When the Smart Cover released, it was like no one had ever heard of a BlackBerry.

To be fair, belt clip covers are not awesome.

Missing from the specs because of Apple's patent?

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sec...

I doubt it, at least not as it relates to the patent you linked. That patent is extremely specific to the exact form factor of the Smart Cover and it would be pretty easy to design other covers that are similar but not violations.

Magnetic sensors in Android devices for the purposes of changing functionality are nothing new, my old Motorola Droid (which predates the Apple patent filing by years) had one that it used to determine car docking state.

Spot on and Apples patent pertains to connecting things with magnets (how that got thru I realy don't know beyond patent officers need better drug testing IMHO).

This is a magnetic sensor so Apple can do nothing. Maybe functionality is not enabled and this is why it is not mentioned. There were a few NFC phones that initialy in the earlier days did not mention they had NFC built in as the software was not ready to utilise it. Indeed there are probably many features in phones chipsets that don't get used, but are mearly a software update away. All technology has to some extent undocumented features - undocumented CPU instructions being a classic one of its time. maybe a better example is how some USB TV tuners can act as hardware for software radio's.

That's my guess too - the power management software may need some refinement yet. Or maybe it's perfect, and being pushed upstream... that might keep it from being 'final' as well.

This was my guess but I wonder if they will let 3rd party accessory developers to provide the missing piece. They can't be sued for that and it makes their offering much closer to the iPad.

Android accessories are often pretty cheap in price and quality. Apple Smart Cover is a well made product.

It's alright. I still think its overpriced.

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